Lost Throne
by Thinkingaboutnothing
Summary: "So I grinned a huge, smug smile right at Jane." This story is me exploring Jane's reaction to that. Bear in mind, the way I've written her she's not wholly sane, so she overreacts to everything and she's very pyschotic.


**So I decided to try something serious. I wrote this months ago, and came across it in my documents a minute ago. I thought I'd post it and see if anyone liked it. Oh, and if anyone checks this out because they have me on author alert for "Just When You Thought It Couldn't Get Any Weirder", I will update that later today, I promise.**

Chapter One:  
Jane gazed down at the writhing vampire before her without truly seeing him. Her thoughts were far away, and eighteen months ago. She could see, as clearly as if she still stood there, the wide expanse of green field and, across from where she had once been, an army of immortals led by the golden-eyes. But she didn't care about them. All her focus was on one newborn, a vampire who should have stayed human, who had no place in the world Jane had made her own. Isabella Cullen had stared back. That was nothing unusual. Her victims never could keep their eyes from straying to her, the childlike vampire they feared above all else. And rightly so.  
Even in her memory, Isabella Cullen's stare was unnerving, devoid of the fear her presence usually inspired. Jane remembered her own horror as her power failed once, twice, a third time to affect the Cullens and their allies. She had doubted herself, feared she was losing her gift. Then Isabella Cullen had met her blood-red eyes and smirked. Comprehension flooded to her in a moment. The most awful moment of her immortal life. Her gift was still with her, but Isabella Cullen was gifted too. She had frustrated Jane as a human, but now she rendered her helpless. Useless. The Volturi's most powerful offensive was now...obsolete . The memory of Isabella Cullen's arrogant grin echoed in her mind, and Jane shuddered into the present.  
The vampire was coiled on the ground, screaming and shrieking and begging for mercy. She had none to offer. The image of Isabella Cullen taunted her, and evoked fresh rage. Which she was going to take out on the lowlife she had been sent to punish.

Hours later, a voice from behind her interrupted the cacophony of screams she was enjoying. She stilled, and turned to face Felix.  
" If you could finish up, and let us kill him," he began lazily, " We're all in a hurry to get back to Volterra."  
Jane gave no outward show of her anger at this disrespect, but the screams of the vampire behind her intensified. How dare he! How dare anyone disturb her while she punished a miscreant! Alec had once been the only one who would approach her when she evidenced her abilities so horrifically. But that had changed. Eighteen months ago. She was no longer feared as she had once been, and with the loss of fear, came the loss of respect. She boiled with fury. Even though these vampires knew she could still hurt them, that without Isabella Cullen they had no protection, they saw her as less then they had before. That she had been beaten, lowered her from the elevation she had once enjoyed. She was no longer some kind of implacable higher power, but another vampire, like them. Fallible. Now, she suffered Felix's teasing like the others, endured vampires barging into her chambers unannounced, and had lost her claim to the best of Heidi's catch. Another reason to hate Isabella Cullen. The upstart had robbed her of her status. She was beginning to suspect hat even Gianna was less prompt in obeying her commands!  
She focused her rage, preparing to teach Felix a much-needed lesson, when she felt a calming hand on her arm.  
" You two deal with that, " Alec directed his words at Felix and Demetri. " We'll head for the airport."  
The screams ceased and the vampire went limp. Her wrath evaporated at the sound of her brother's voice, and she allowed him to lead her away. Felix and Demetri dived on the vampire who was huddled on the ground, recovering from her assault. He didn't so much as whimper as they tore him to pieces. No physical pain could compare to the anguish she had just put him through. She followed Alec to a black car with dark-tinted windows, and he opened the door, holding out a hand to let her in. She didn't know what make, or model, and she didn't care. A car was a car, and a car wasn't as fast as a vampire. Alec settled beside her on the leather seat, and curtly instructed the driver. She leaned her head against the glass of the window. It was warmer than she was, but she supposed it would feel cold, to a human.  
She could feel her brother looking at her, waiting for her to speak, and explain. She faced him, drawing an unneeded breath.  
" They shouldn't have interrupted."  
" We needed to leave," he replied reasonably. "Why so intent on tormenting the fool, anyway?"  
She smiled at him angelically.  
" Do you mean Felix, or our assignment?" she enquired.  
He matched her smile with one equally lovely.  
" The assignment," he answered, still looking at her. "We don't know him. Why so delighted to hurt him?"  
She wouldn't meet his eyes.  
" Another substitute for her." Her tone was shamed, though she knew he wouldn't judge her.  
" I thought as much. You should let it go, pet."  
He reached to slide her hood down, and stroked her little blonde head. She strived for indignation she couldn't find in his presence.  
" Let it go? Alec, she ruined the life we've spent centuries building."  
Her words did not have the impact she would have liked. The sentence was spoiled by her soft, contented tone. Alec gazed at her serenely. She should have been angry, frustrated, irritated...she was filled with a deep sense of peace. It was impossible for her to feel any negative emotions around her brother, her antithesis. Aro speculated that it was a side effect of his gift, that he was by nature so calming, he acted as a sedative to her wilder, more aggressive side. He quelled the hate and pain she had carried since her mortal 'death', since she and her brother had been punished for not fitting in, for being too different, too powerful. In her human life, she hadn't wanted that power, had wished to be like other children. But, since her transformation, she had learned to relish that which set her apart. She had revelled in the feeling of being special. Her world had been perfect, until Isabella Cullen had shattered it with one fell blow.  
Alec's red eyes glowed in his flawless face as he stared impassively back at her. No, not quite impassively. His forehead was creased with worry, his eyebrows pushed together in frustration. Guilt overwhelmed her. She knew it upset him, her vengeance-fuelled obsession with the newest Cullen, but she couldn't seem to help herself. Every time she closed her eyes, Isabella Cullen's infuriatingly cocky face danced behind her lids. She turned away, lacking the courage to meet his confused and disappointed eyes. Before all of this, nothing mattered to her more than Alec. She would've died and killed to keep him safe, and let every other of the Volturi burn to ashes in their ostentatious castle. She still would. But now, something had shifted, because now, even though she knew it would probably end in the destruction of both herself and her beloved twin, her daydreams were full of Isabella Cullen's bonfire, and her screams as she burned. A smile of true felicity graced Jane's sculpted lips at the thought. Alec's expression darkened as he guessed her thoughts, but then, he seemed to accept that he could do nothing, and he left her to imagining Isabella Cullen's terrified pleas. So Jane spent the remainder of the drive to the airport in her happy place.


End file.
